Marked From Birth

The transformation was not the agonizing, bone-breaking ritual the elders spoke of in hushed, fearful tones. For Audrey, it felt like shedding a skin that had been three sizes too small for twenty-one years. As Lucas watched in stunned silence, Audrey's body began to shimmer. The golden light that had poured from her pores solidified, twisting into a thick, lustrous coat of fur. But she wasn't grey like the common wolves of the Moon Shadow Pack, nor was she black like Lucas. When the light faded, a massive wolf stood atop the silk sheets. She was pure, brilliant white-the color of a winter moon-with paws that seemed tipped in gold. Her eyes remained that piercing, molten amber, glowing with an ancient intelligence. "I am whole," the thought echoed in the room. It wasn't a whisper; it was a telepathic boom that shook the ornaments on the mantelpiece. Lucas, now fully seeing the world for the first time, dropped to one knee. Not out of weakness, but out of a deep, instinctual reverence. In the legends of the Silver Pack, the White Wolf was a myth-a creature of the Great Moon Mother herself. "Audrey," he breathed, reaching out to brush his hand against her soft, velvet-thick fur. "You aren't just a werewolf. You are the Avatar of the Moon. My pack... they have waited centuries for someone like you." The door to the chambers burst open. Beta Marcus, Lucas's most trusted advisor, rushed in with his sword drawn, alerted by the crashing of glass and the sudden surge of power. "Alpha! We heard a-" Marcus stopped dead. His eyes traveled from the tall, broad-shouldered man standing by the bed to the magnificent white wolf beside him. Marcus dropped his sword. It clattered loudly against the floor. "Alpha Lucas?" Marcus stammered, staring at Lucas's clear, silver eyes. "You... you can see? And... who is this?" "This is my mate," Lucas said, his voice dropping into the commanding tone of a True Alpha. "And she is the True Luna of the Silver Pack. Send word to the kitchens. Prepare a feast that will be remembered for generations. And Marcus?" "Yes, Alpha?" "Prepare the warriors. We have a debt to settle with the Moon Shadow Pack. They thought they sent us a sacrifice. Instead, they sent us our Queen." Audrey shifted back. The transformation was seamless, the golden light wrapping around her like a robe until she was human once more, though she felt far from the "useless" girl she had been that morning. She stood tall, her chin lifted, her gaze meeting Marcus's with a fire that made the seasoned warrior bow his head instantly. "Wait," Audrey said, her voice soft but carrying a new, dangerous edge. "Don't send the warriors yet, Lucas." Lucas frowned, his protective instincts flaring. "They tried to kill you, Audrey. They deserve to feel the weight of my claws." "They will," she promised, a cold smile touching her lips. "But I want them to see me first. I want Samantha to see the 'blind man' she rejected. I want my father to see the 'worthless' daughter he threw away. Let them think their plan worked. Let them host the funeral they're undoubtedly planning. We will arrive when they least expect it."